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Regional Economic Effect
and Management Condition of Convention Center
in Major Cities of The United States
Jeong-Rock Lee
Professor, Department of Geography
Chonnam National University
Geon-Cheol Lee
Chief of Research Division
Kwangju & Chonnam Development Institute
In recent, most of cities have developed or expanded convention centers and the related facilities with goal of stimulating regional economic revitalization and development. Conferences and exhibitions are activities that are often regarded together as one of the staples of city tourism. Conferences and exhibitions are perceived to be growth industries in which the vistor spends an above-average amount, and which operate for most of the year.
With the increase of international conferences, exhibitions, and the related events, convention centers provided the important contribution to the regional economic revitalization such as the growth of the convention related industry and tourism industry. Therefore, convention, exposition and meeting industry(CEMI) is growing as a new industry.
The purpose of this article is to articulate the management conditions and the economic role and of convention centers in the major cities such as Chicago, New York, Atlanta, and Columbus of the United States. An estimated 600 cities in United States compete for convention business.
As Chicago remains the nation's leading convention site, McCormick Place is the largest U.S. exhibition complex, and the seven largest in the world. The Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York opened in 1986. The Georgia World Congress Center opened in 1976, and reopened in 1985 with the project for downtown renovation. The Great Columbus Convention Center built in 1980, and contributed the regional economic development and tourism industry.
In particular, the Javits convention center was expected to deliver a number of direct and indirect economic benefits to the New York City and New York State. The number of attending conferences and events of Javit center has increased from 1.8 million in 1987 to approximately 3.0 million in 1991. The Javits center has been contributed to the total regional economic benefits such as from totaling $1.166 billion in 1987 to $2.244 billion in 1991. The economic activities and taxes effect of convention center to New York City represents approximately $42 million in 1991, and convention center contributed the increase of job opportunities of approximately 48,000 jobs.
With the growth of world economy and the increase of international flows, tourism, and the international tourism, international convention competition has greatly expanded in recent years. Therefore, major cities of Korea have to concern about the establishment of convention center.